Katniss and Peeta: Life After the War
by katnissandpeeta99
Summary: Hi everyone. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games and I always wanted to make a fanfiction for when Katniss and Peeta got back to District 12, how they grew back together, and how they decided to have children. I usually add a chapter every Friday but my computer isn't working right and isn't letting me write as of 9/14. I will try to fix the problem and add a new chapter asap!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I look around and see everyone I love who are gone. I see Finnick, Cinna, Rue, and of course Prim. They are all laughing and smiling like they don't have a care in the world. All of a sudden they transform into big, ferocious mutts and start chasing me. I run until I can't run anymore and they get me. I jump up in bed screaming and I realize it is only a dream.

I look next to me for Peeta and I remember we barely talk anymore. Words don't describe how much I miss him.

I walk to my window and see his lights are all out. I go back in my bed and just lie there until I hear Greasy Sae come in to cook breakfast. I take a shower and wonder what Peeta is doing. I go to my drawer and grab the pearl Peeta gave me during the Quell. I go downstairs and Greasy Sae hands me a plate and sees the pearl in my hand. She is the only person who knows what it means to me. " Maybe you should give him a call honey" she says. I ignore her and continue eating. " Do you think there is enough breakfast to give to Haymitch" I ask. " Yes, why don't you run over there and give him a plate when you are done" she answers.

After I finish I walk over to Haymitch's house to give him the food. I knock on the door but there is no answer. Fortunately it is unlocked and I walk in to see him passed out on the couch. I try to shake him but it's no use. I should know by now that the only way to wake him is by dumping cold water on him. I grab a cup , fill it with water, and dump it on his head. He shoots up and curses to himself. " Why must you always do that sweetheart"? he asks and I just ignore him. " I brought you breakfast, god knows the last time you ate" I say. " Your too late, the boy already brought some food over" he answers. I glance at the empty plate on the floor and say " Peeta was here?" " Yeah, he comes over almost everyday. You still haven't talked to him, huh?" he asks. I shake my head and look down at the floor. " Well maybe you should" he says. I shrug and say " If you need anything just call" and I leave.

I head out to the woods for the first time since I got back to 12 and grab my hunting gear from it's spot. I think of Gale and how we used to be such a great team. I walk and take down animals as if I never stopped. I still get them down in one clean hit through the eye. I surprise myself by how many kills I make. I think this is the most kills I have ever made in one day. In about another hour I have a dozen birds, 4 turkeys, and half a dozen squirrels. I decide that that's enough for today and I head to the lake. As im on my way I hear the mockingjays start to sing. I take stop for a moment when I realize that it is Rue's four notes she sang in the 74th Hunger Games. When I reach the lake I am shocked by how beautiful it looks. All the flowers bloomed from spring and were filled with colors. I see the katniss plants, irises, daisies, tulips and finally the breath taking primroses that remind me of my beautiful sister. I look at my reflection in the lake and I don't recognize the person staring back. I am covered with scars and my hair has bald patches. I look away not wanting to be reminded of the Hunger Games and the rebellion which took so many people away from me including my sister. I think of my father instead and how he taught me how to hunt in these very woods and how to swim in this very lake. I can still smell his scent that lingers on his jacket. When I see the sun is beginning to set, I start to walk back to the gate. I hear a rustling noise coming from the bushes and see a deer come out from it. Its been so long since I saw a deer and there was so much meat on it so I decide to make one last kill for the day. I reach for an arrow and get it ready so shoot in my bow. Just as I was about to pull back another arrow hit came from through the trees and hit the deer in the neck, killing it. I wondered who else could possibly be out here hunting and then I saw the figure approach from the trees. I still couldn't see the person's face. I couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman. But when I heard the words ," hey Catnip" I knew who it was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I walk over and see that it is Gale. " Gale, what are you doing here?" I ask. "Well nice to see you too Katniss" he says. I just look at him and he laughs. "I decided to come back to 12 for a little while, just until my mother is feeling better" he says. I feel a pang of guilt since I haven't visited Hazelle since before the war ended. "What happened is she ok?" I ask. " Yes, she's fine she just broke her arm and I figured she could use some extra help around here" he answers. "When did you get back?" I ask him. " Yesterday" he says. He glances at the deer and says "I should get that thing home before it gets too dark." "I'll walk with you I was going to stop by and drop off some squirrels and birds anyway." We talk about how our lives have been after the war. I lie and tell him how things aren't really too different around here and how I am doing good. He tells me how he is working in District 2. When we get to his house, I hand Hazelle the animals and Gale tells me he'll see me around. I leave and try to get home as quick as I can after my experience today.

I glance at Peeta's house as I pass it and decide to call him later. I show Greasy Sae what I caught and she decides to make some sort of stew. As she cooks the food, I feel the pearl in my pocket and decide it is a good time to call Peeta. The phone rings for so long that I am about to hang up when I hear him say hello. My heart skips and I finally manage to say "Hi Peeta." "Katniss, i'm so glad you called" he says. I smile and we both say I miss you at the same time which makes me smile even more. " What are you doing tomorrow" he asks. " Nothing." I tell him. " Will you come over around 12, I need to talk to you" he asks me. I couldn't tell if it was something good or bad so I just tell him yes and then we hang up. Greasy Sae comes out of the kitchen and tells me the stew is ready with a smile on her face and I know she heard me on the phone. After dinner I go right to bed because I can't wait for tomorrow. I didn't have any nightmares.

When I woke up and saw the light shining through the window I jumped out of bed and got ready even though it was only 8:30. I was so quick Greasy Sae wasn't even done making breakfast so I decided to go over to see Haymitch. Surprisingly, when in knocked on the door he answered. "By the smile on your face I can tell you took my advice" he says. "Yeah I called Peeta last night and he asked me to come over today" I tell him. I surprise myself when I realize we have been talking for almost an hour and Greasy Sae most already be done eating breakfast herself so I leave and tell Haymitch I will come over later. By the time I finish eating, it is already 10:30 and I don't know what else to do to kill time. I look in the mirror, take my hair out or the braid and brush it over. Then I rebraid it slower so it comes out perfect. Finally at five to 12, I walk over to Peeta's house and ring the doorbell.

When he answers we hug each other and stay like that for a while. I can't describe how much I have missed this. After we let go of each other we sit on the couch and talk about what we have been up to. I remember what he said on the phone yesterday and ask him what he needed to talk to me about. "Oh, yeah I forgot. Well you know how we haven't talked or seen each other in a while?" he asks. "Yeah" I say not knowing where he is going with this. "Well I have been seeing someone else." he tells me. My heart sinks and I don't even know what to say so I just look at him and wait for him to say more. "So I wanted to ask you if we could just be friends." Now my heart is completely shattered and I finally say "Well we never really were more than friends right?" I ask him hoping to hurt him as much as he just hurt me. When I see the sadness in his eyes I feel guilty but quickly shake it out of my head remembering what he just said. "So who is it?" I ask and he shows me a picture of the two of them looking so happy together. I can't believe what I am seeing. The blonde hair that's in a braid and blue eyes remind me of District 13. It's Delly Cartwright.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Your with Delly?" I ask. "Yeah, we started talking a few weeks after we got back." He answers. "Oh well I am really happy for you." " Oh I forgot I told Hazelle I would stop by at 12:30 I should probably go" I say just to get out of there. "Oh ok I will talk to you later then." Peeta tells me and I leave.

I get back to my house and I run to my room, tears already falling down my face. Another girl? How could he do this to me I think to myself. I bury myself under my pillows and blankets and start sobbing. This isn't fair I needed some time to get myself back together , I never said I wanted to end our relationship. I think back on all our memories together. The first thing that pops into my head is the time when he gave me the bread when I barely surviving. My sweet , kind Peeta. Except he isn't mine anymore, he's Dellys. Of course he picked her over me, she's kind and warm and I am just so cold. I think of all the other memories we share. The cave, the beach, the rebellion, all of it. When I finally stop crying I take a shower and go to see Haymitch.

I find him sitting on the couch with a bottle of whisky in his hand. I sit down next to him without saying a word and look down at the ground. "Looks like things didn't go too good today" he says. Still looking down I manage to say "He's seeing someone else." " Do you love him, sweetheart?" he asks me. I think about how I just cried my eyes out and realize I do. I look up at him and nod my head. "Well then sweetheart you might wanna try telling him that." he tells me. I just sit there without saying anything for a while and decide that maybe I should. I walk to Peeta's house but just as I am about to ring the bell, I look through the window and see Peeta and Delly laughing on the couch. I go back to my house and see Greasy Sae cooking dinner.

"Did you see Peeta today, honey?" she asks me. "Yeah I did" I answer. " How was it?" Sae asks. "Fine" I say. "Katniss, there is something your not telling me." "HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND OK!" I shout and burst into tears again. Greasy Sae hugs me and pets my head. "It's ok dear he will come around I know he will" she tells me. All of a sudden someone knocks on the door and I jump. Greasy Sae looks out the window and tells me it's Peeta. "Oh no I don't want him to see me like this he'll know it's because of what he told me! Can you answer and tell him im in the bathroom?" I say and run upstairs without even waiting for an answer. I hear Greasy Sae tell him and say he's welcome to wait and groan when I hear him say ok. Great, now I have to stay in here until my nose turns back to a normal color and my eyes stop tearing. After about 20 minutes I go downstairs and tell Peeta I was in my room for a little and didn't even hear him come in. " Its ok, so how is Hazelle?" he says. " What are you talking about?" I ask. "You said you had to go see Hazelle." "Oh yeah I forgot I was only there a little while." I say hoping he doesn't realize I am lying.

Peeta's POV

Katniss is acting really weird, I wonder what's going on with her. "Are you ok?" I ask her. "Yeah I am fine just tired". She answers. I wish I could stay and spend the night with her like we used to but she made it pretty obvious that we were never anything serious. Plus there's Delly but although she's kind and sweet, she's not Katniss. But Katniss doesn't love me so I have to move on. After a while it was getting awkward so I told her I was gonna head home. We both stepped outside and I turned to leave. I lit up inside when she said " Wait Peeta." " Yeah?" I ask. "Can you come back later and maybe we can work on the book?" she asks me. I smile at her and say " I'll see you in an hour" and walk home.

Katniss' POV

Even if I can't have Peeta the way I want to, I still want us to be friends. I can't afford to lose him as a friend too. I need him in my life, he makes me feel better even when I don't want to.

I spend the next hour waiting for Peeta to come back over and when I hear the door I practically throw myself on the door. "Long time no see" he says when I open the door. I always loved his sense of humor. He truly is the one person who can make me smile. He brings out the best in me. I smile and tell him to come in. "So I was thinking maybe we can do Cinna today" I tell him. "I think that's a great idea" he says in return. I watch as he draws Cinna just like I remember him. I love to just watch Peeta draw, he's so talented. After he hands me the paper for approval I smile and nod my head and start writing everything I love about Cinna on the back. Peeta starts drawing his father and I think about when he came to give me the cookies before our first Hunger Games. He was such a good man, Peeta takes after him. I glance up at Peeta and see how focused he is own his drawing. He's truly beautiful, inside and out. I can't believe these thoughts are coming to my mind, I'm such a cold person. I need him, I can't survive without him. I need to tell him how I feel. At that moment he catches me staring at him and smiles and says "What?". "Nothing, it's just that I uh um I'm .. really glad you're here" I finally say. Ugh Katniss why can't you just tell him I think to myself. "Me too" he answers. Before we realize it's already 10 and he gets ready to leave. I walk him to his house and before he goes inside I ask "Do you want to come and eat dinner tomorrow?" He smiles and says "Of course, I would love to." He hugs me before he goes inside and I walk home looking forward to the next time i'll get to see the boy with the bread.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day I stay home all day and try to figure out how I'm going to tell Peeta I love him. By the time I hear Greasy Sae come in to start dinner I still have nothing. Peeta comes over around 7:00 and Sae goes home to leave us alone. "So how's Delly?" I ask. Stupid, I am so stupid. I'm supposed to tell Peeta I love him not ask about his girlfriend. "She's good" he answers and adds "how's Gale". "Oh I don't know I talked to him about a week ago but I haven't seen him since then" I say. I look at Peeta but he doesn't say anything as if he was thinking. "What?" I ask him. " Nothing I just thought.. um.. you two aren't together?" he says. " Oh god no, he actually just got back here recently, I haven't even seen him." There's that look again on Peeta's face. " Well we should probably eat" I say heading towards the kitchen door. He nods and follows me into the kitchen. We talk a lot over dinner about the Games and all the bad memories, well some good ones too. As were doing the dishes I stop and think about what we just talked about and all those kisses me and Peeta shared. Peeta notices and says " What are you thinking about?" I look at him and say " Peeta we need to talk." He looks at me with a worried glance but still nods. I take his hand and bring him into the living room. " Peeta I know that everything that happened is in the past, but I have been thinking a lot about it lately and I realized that I have feelings for you too but I know that you probably don't feel that way about me anymore and that you have moved on but I just had to let this off my chest and.." At this point I start hysterical crying and in between sobs I say " I'm sorry—it took—so long—for me—to realize—that I—love—you. Before I even get a chance to look up Peeta grabs my face and kisses me. I am so taken back that I forget to kiss him back. When he pulls away I stare at him and kiss him again. After, I say " What about Delly?" " She's not you" I just stare at him unconvinced. " Katniss I only ever loved you, I could never love anyone like I love you no matter how I hard I try. It's always been you. I didn't think you would ever love me back so I tried to move on but it didn't really work how I planned." He laughs and adds " Everytime I would kiss her I would imagine that I was kissing you. Once I even called her Katniss and I had to make up an excuse and say it was just my a flashback. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop thinking about you." I smile and hug him. He suddenly lets go and heads for the door and I get nervous and confused. " Where are you going?" I ask." To talk to Delly." He answers. "Peeta you don't have to do this right now." "Yes I do I have to break it off with her." " Can I come? I kinda owe her an explanation since we were technically friends back in 13." "Sure come on" He says holding his hand out to me. I grab it and we head to Delly's house. We reach Delly's front porch and Peeta looks at me and says " You ready?" " I smile and nod and he rings the doorbell. When Delly opens the door and sees us holding hands she doesn't say anything and has a look of confusion on her face. Peeta lets go of my hand and says " Delly I need to talk to you." " She suddenly gets whats about to happen and nods with a look of sadness on her face. "Delly, I like you a lot, but I just don't want to hurt you." I awkwardly stand there as he continues. " I have feelings for Katniss as well and there never going to go away. You deserve someone better than that, someone who gives you all there attention." A silence fills the room so I finally say " Delly, I know we were friends back in 13 and friends aren't supposed to do something like this and I am truly sorry and I hope you can forgive me and we can move past this." " Of course I forgive you, I knew it was coming and I always knew you two would end up together."A tear falls down her cheek but she still manages to smile. " I really am sorry Delly." Peeta says again as we were walking towards the door. " I know" she says and gives him a peck on the lips which I have to admit, made me a bit jealous. As we were walking out the door, Delly grabs my hand and says " Take care of him for me ok?" I smile and say " Always." Delly hugs me and then we leave. We walk back to my house hand in hand. When we walk in the door of my house in the Victors Village it's already 10:00. Without a word I lead Peeta upstairs to my bedroom and sit on my bed. I look up at him and say "Stay with me?" He says "Always".


End file.
